OMG Europe!!!!: Ya. A Pleasant Surprise

Texel (pronounced "Tessel") is an island in de Nederlands. Home to Spoonbills, seagulls, black geese, ducks, seals, immaculate fishing boats, cobblestone streets, sheep, cows, sand dunes, a sweet little forest, wild horses, Highlander Cows, dikes (yes, more dikes), quaint restaurants with not one word in English on their menus, a top-rated science lab, wind, rain, sun (yes, sun!), Isabelle and Copper and Eli and Lisa and their adorable friends and a chapter worth remembering.

Four days and three nights of driving around the island to take in every sight that ever touched the hearts of Eli and Lisa so that they could share it with us. We hadn't expected to be so enthralled with this interesting island. We weren't prepared to be so warm and and comfortable on this island, with unseasonably great October weather. We became engulfed in the Dutch tradition with pristine yards and autos and dogs and children as we toured the entire island with Jolynn's handsome son and his beautiful wife. A little American oasis in their VW as we buzzed around the island and had some delicious meals, the best of which was cooked by Lisa to greet us and introduce us to their friends on Friday night. Whew! What a Wonderful Weekend!

Perfection. Aloof. Tall and blonde. So Dutch. Ya.

Monday morning after we packed our bags to leave the little island of Texel (to head to our next stop, Paris!), Jolynn and Eli sat in the living room and sang together as Eli played the guitar.

Norwegian Wood. The Beatles. A sweet, blustery morning and the tears are flowing again.....

"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle.

The other is as though everything is a miracle."

Albert Einstein

This weekend in Texel has been a miracle.

So grateful to Isabelle and Copper for sharing their parents with us.

So very grateful to Eli and Lisa for giving up their bed and for their sweet hospitality and for the fabulous French dinner and for sharing their happy lives with us.

There's nothing more important than our children. We are Moms. We love being Moms and we love our adult children.

Ta Ta Texel.